Suicide prevention program Question Persuade Refer rolls out for country SA

A SIMPLE question may be enough to save a person’s life — and a new training program aims to give everyday people the skills to do just that.

A SIMPLE question may be enough to save someone’s life.

It may be asked of a family member, colleague or stranger, but it could be enough to let them know they are not alone.

It is the basis of Question Persuade Refer, a new training program for 1000 people from Port Lincoln to Port Pirie and towns in between.

The free online suicide prevention training course aims to provide everyday people with three simple steps to help save a life.

Country SA Primary health Network will provide the course after a survey found 68 per cent of regional residents wanted training and upskilling in suicide prevention.

“If we train only one per cent of the population in our trial region, it will act as a protective factor against suicide in the community — so we feel very strongly about the importance of this initiative,” Country SA PHN chief executive Kim Hosking said.

“Not everybody who is experiencing suicidal thoughts has access to mental health services, so it makes sense to add a community layer to suicide prevention.”

The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s $34 million national suicide prevention trial, funding regional projects to better respond to local needs.

The Sunday Mail last year reported 2200 people in SA had taken their lives between 2004 and 2014, meaning the number of suicides each year is 1½ times the state’s road toll.

Data from the National Coronial Information System shows the highest rate of suicide is among 31 to 50-year-olds, with 954 deaths. Males comprised 77 per cent of suicides.

The Question Persuade Refer program will target groups deemed “at risk”, such as youth (12-24 years), men (25-45) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents.

The state’s north was identified as having a higher rate of suicide and suicidal behaviours across a number of data sets over a 10-year period.

The free program will be rolled out across the rest of country SA in the coming months.

People living in the northern trial area interested in the program can use the free code CSA to login at: countrysaphn.com.au.

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